Flatiron base



June 29, 1943.. Q R, TAL AG 2,323,162

FLAT IRON BASE Filed NOV. 26, 1940 INVENTOR Charles" Hafierz Tajm iye 2%A M M fi ATT NEYS atentecl time 29, 1943 FLATIRON BASE ApplicationNovember 26, 1940, Serial No. 367,283

2 Claims.

This invention relates to flat iron bases and is particularly concernedwith flat iron bases made from powdered iron.

It is the prime object of the invention to fabricate a fiat iron basefrom iron powder wherein the base may be molded to the exact size andshape and thereby eliminate the necessity of machining.

. It is a further object in some cases to impregnate the porous ironbase with a metal or metals which will aid in increasing theconductivity of the base and simultaneously facilitate the applicationof a metal coating by electrodeposition.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawing wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention isclearly shown.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of an electrically heated flat iron, and

Fig. 2 is a view showing the shoe, or base, of a fiat iron.

In the manufacture of bases, or shoes, for flat irons it has been theconventional procedure to fabricate these bases from cast iron. The castiron parts upon being removed from the molds are rough and onlyapproximate the size desired, and therefore require much tediousmachining and finishing in order to insure a fiat surface at the basethereof, and likewise to shape the iron base to the desired contour.This machining is further necessary in order to produce a smooth surfacesuitablefor electro-plating, which plating is utilized for preventingoxidization of the base, for simultaneously improving the appearancethereof, and to provide a smooth ironing surface. These finishingoperations add considerably to the cost of the base.

My invention is particularly concerned with the fabrication of a flatiron base from briquetted sintered iron powders, wherein the base issubstantially exactly molded to the desired size and shape, and wherein,after sintering, the surface thereof is smooth and requires no grindingor machining operations of the character heretofore described. Ifdesired the ironing surface may be machined or finished although in mostinstances this is unnecessary.

In making a fiat iron base in accordance with my invention, I propose toutilize iron powder such as sponge iron, comminuted iron, electrolyticiron, etc., either with or without small quantitles of carbon and/ orcopper powder. The metal powder is filled into a mold of the desiredconfiguration and briquetted under high pressures, preferably rangingfrom 20,000 to 60,000 pounds per square inch, to form a self-sustainingmass which is then sintered under non-oxidizing or reducing conditionsat a temperature of approximately 2,000 F. for from 10 to 40 minutes,whereupon the metal powder sinters together to form a substantiallycontinuous network or matrix, which has a degree of porosity that isdetermined by the initial briquetting pressure. The drawing shows such abase at 20 wherein the molded article after sintering presents a smoothsurface at all portions thereof.

In some cases it is desirable to mix copper powders with the iron inpercentages of from 5 to 20 percent of the total weight of the metalpowder used, which copper powder upon sintering coats the iron and actsas a bonding agent therewith. Similarly, aluminum, bronze or otherpowders having good heat conducting qualities may be used. Anotherembodiment comprehends the impregnation of the sintered article withmolten copper or other good heat conducting metals, wherein th iron mayeither be immersed in a bath of the molten metal for a short period, orwherein a piece of the metal may be placed on top of the iron base andsoaked in by capillarity,

' by placing the base with th metal thereon in a furnace at atemperature above the melting point of the metal but below the meltingpoint of iron,

such procedure being well known in the art. In this instance the copperor other metal impregnant, due to its high heat conductivity, increasesthe conductivity of the base, while simultaneously not sacrificing thestrength or hardness of the iron base. Then too, copper coated ironfacilitates electro-plating since it is desirable in most cases tocopper plate prior to nickel plating etc.

Another embodiment proposes the use of selective briquetting wherein alayer of copper powder or copper and iron powder is first filled intothe mold to a predetermined depth, which is less than the depth of themold, then the remainder of the mold cavity is filled with iron powder.In this manner a surface of the shoe can be made of copper while theremainder of the surface is iron, thus providing for an ironing surfaceof high heat conductivity and simultaneously utilizing the inherentstrength of the iron. Likewise, this procedure reduces the cost of theshoe over a shoe made of pure copper since the copper surface thereofmay not exceed a sixteenth of the depth. In this instance the sinteringtemperature should not exceed 1950 F.

It is therefore apparent that I have provided an iron base or shoe whichdue to its "mooth mold surface is particularly adaptable for itsintended use, and wherein the necessity of expensive machining andfinishing operations are eliminated thereby reducing the cost of thearticle. While the use of the iron shoe is particularly adapted for sadirons and the like, it is apparent that similar bases may be fabricatedfor use such as hot plates or in connection with electrical heatingelements in electric ranges. In each case the grooves into which theelements are placed may be molded in the part, thereby eliminatingpractically all machining. Obviously the smooth molded surface, which isformed at the sintering briquetted iron parts, is very desirable for anyof these heating plates or bases. In the case of impregnated iron theporosity of the surface is destroyed and the piece is substantiallycontinuous, the same as cast metal. Similarly, when the shoe or base isplated with a chromium plate, for example, which is the usual practicein connection with irons, the porosity is at least partially destroyeddue to the fact that the plating tends to bridge over the pores of theiron matrix. It is to be understood that in the claims which follow theuse of the word "shoe or base is considered sufliciently broad toinclude any of the use herein mentioned.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed,constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other formsmight be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims whichfollow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A new article of manufacture comprising a fiat iron basecharacterized by a smooth ironing surface integral with the remainder ofthe base, said base consisting of a stratified structure wherein theportion thereof adjacent the ironing surface is predominately copper andthe portion away from the ironing surface consists predominately ofiron, said base consisting of sintered metal.

2. The article as claimed in claim 1 wherein the ironing surface hasbeen electro-plated.

CHARLES ROBERT TALMAGE.

